World Fail

Chapter 5: Smoke and Daggers

As I watched Frida sleep, I was still trying to wrap my mind around Skylar's death. She had seemed fine when she got back from the circle, albeit a little tired. It didn't make any sense for her to just...do this. Something felt off, and I just couldn't shake the feeling.
                           ~
  I woke with a jolt, a sharp keening sound assaulting my ears. Frida awoke seconds later and grabbed my shoulder, causing me to jump in fright. "What the fuck--" We both leapt up from the bed, senses on high alert. The painful sound turned into an angry wailing, like a mortally wounded animal. I heard shouting throughout the halls as the others rushed towards the sound, chaos filling the castle. I grabbed the fae's hand tightly, pulling them into the hall with me while people called out for each other. "Frida! Lilith! Where are you guys??" Ellis cried out, rushing around the corner. She skidded to a stop when she saw us, face white and out of breath. "Ellis - what's going on??" The enraged whine had finally gone silent, but my ears still rang. "It's the vampires - there's been another death. This one was clearly murder. Come with me." The witch took my hand, and we three sprinted down the hall, connected in some weird kind of mortal chain. She dropped my hand when we reached the vampires' room, shoving the door open. Perri was on her knees, fangs out and eyes a firey red. Mary on the other hand, was on the ground with a badly made oak stake through her heart. Being undead, there was not even a drop of blood on her body. A wild mixture of injuries laced her skin; everything from stab wounds to markings carved into the pale flesh. Her girlfriend looked vicious, glaring at us as crimson tears poured down her skin and onto her shirt. When we entered, she sprung up, baring her fangs at us. "Which one of you did this?! Which one of you killed her?!" I let go of Frida, slowly edging closer to the furious darkling. "Perri! It's just us-" I was cut off as she leapt at my throat, pinning me to the ground. My claws dug into her skin as I ferociously fought to keep her extended fangs out of my throat. She made the same enraged keening sound that we had heard earlier, and the other two clutched at their ears to muffle the cry. My paws were full with battling the vampire, so I got the full hit of power from it. The sound overloaded all of my senses, rendering me unconscious.
                          ~
My eyes flickered as I felt a warm, slightly rough material scrape over my neck. Not wanting to open my eyes yet, I inhaled deeply. All I could smell was bitter blood, and a confusing mixture of flowers. Ammarylis, lily, honeysuckle. Bluebonnet, Indian paintbrush, baby's breath. All flowers used for native healings. Someone was singing in the old tongue, accompanied by a haunting melody from a harp. A familiar lullaby that seemed to soothe the pain, the song keeping me drowsy. It was the sound of home, but long ago tainted with the bitterness of a broken heart. I tried so hard to open my eyes, but the atmosphere made them too heavy to keep open for long. I tried to speak, but my lips felt like they were glued shut. All I managed was a tired croaking sound, which was instantly replied to by someone gently shushing me and drawing that warm feeling across my throat again. Every time the warmth faded, there was two sharp pings of pain in the side of my neck, then quickly blocked by the warm feeling again. Whenever the singing stopped, I could hear a whispered conversation. It didn't make any sense...it was about the vampires, but my mind couldn't focus. "We had to...she would have killed Lilith." Ellis murmured. Frida's shakey voice replied, "She almost did... I mean, look at her. Being a werewolf should protect her from the change, but she'll be in pain for days." Trying to ignore the rough sounding words, I let the quiet notes from the harp hold me. Eventually, I slid back into the welcoming embrace of sleep, unsure if I would wake again.